Wellness influencers will outlive us all! The Science Smackdown Debate at World Science Festival Brisbane episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 13, 2025 · 53 MIN

Wellness influencers will outlive us all! The Science Smackdown Debate at World Science Festival Brisbane

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

It's Team Wellness Warriors versus Team Medical Miracles. Hear the arguments and you decide! The wellness industry is booming. It's worth billions and its influencers are all over social media spruiking miracle pills and mystery remedies, crystal healing and cancer cures. Some are even steaming their vaginas (hellooooo Gywneth Paltrow!). Have they done the research that mainstream medicine refuses to? Is your doctor really the best person to help you be the healthiest you can be? Or ... are many wellness influencers shysters and swindlers, selling hoax cures, making unproven claims, and putting your bank balance and your health at serious risk? Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell from the stage of the 2025 World Science Festival Brisbane for an hilarious hour of science and comedy. Laughing is good for your health, that's for sure.SpeakersTEAM WELLNESS WARRIORSDr Joel Gilmore Clean energy expert, physicist, and science communicatorAssociate professor, Griffith UniversityDr Lily BentleyMarine biologistUniversity of QueenslandTing LimStand-up comic and star of ABC TV's FiskTEAM MEDICAL MIRACLESStacey Thomson aka TV's Ranger StaceyHost of the former long-running TV show Totally WildDr Mike TodorovichMedical educator and host of the Dr Matt and Dr Mike Youtube channelAssociate Professor of Medicine, Bond UniversitySteven OliverComedian, poet, playwright, cabaret performer, and star of ABC TV's Black ComedyThanks to event producers Jane O'Hara, Dr Rob Bell, and the whole World Science Festival Brisbane team.

It's Team Wellness Warriors versus Team Medical Miracles. Hear the arguments and you decide! The wellness industry is booming. It's worth billions and its influencers are all over social media spruiking miracle pills and mystery remedies, crystal healing and cancer cures. Some are even steaming their vaginas (hellooooo Gywneth Paltrow!). Have they done the research that mainstream medicine refuses to? Is your doctor really the best person to help you be the healthiest you can be? Or ... are many wellness influencers shysters and swindlers, selling hoax cures, making unproven claims, and putting your bank balance and your health at serious risk? Join Big Ideas host Natasha Mitchell from the stage of the 2025 World Science Festival Brisbane for an hilarious hour of science and comedy. Laughing is good for your health, that's for sure. Speakers TEAM WELLNESS WARRIORS Dr Joel Gilmore  Clean energy expert, physicist, and science communicator Associate professor, Griffith University Dr Lily Bentley Marine biologist University of Queensland Ting Lim Stand-up comic and star of ABC TV's Fisk TEAM MEDICAL MIRACLES Stacey Thomson aka TV's Ranger Stacey Host of the former long-running TV show Totally Wild Dr Mike Todorovich Medical educator and host of the Dr Matt and Dr Mike Youtube channel Associate Professor of Medicine, Bond University Steven Oliver Comedian, poet, playwright, cabaret performer, and star of ABC TV's Black Comedy Thanks to event producers Jane O'Hara, Dr Rob Bell, and the whole World Science Festival Brisbane team.

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Wellness influencers will outlive us all! The Science Smackdown Debate at World Science Festival Brisbane

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This episode was published on August 13, 2025.

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It's Team Wellness Warriors versus Team Medical Miracles. Hear the arguments and you decide! The wellness industry is booming. It's worth billions and its influencers are all over social media spruiking miracle pills and mystery remedies, crystal...

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